al-3Arabia

So, This semester there are too many kids in my arabic class for there to be proper study. So we split up every other day with one of our teachers. Today the lists came out, Eiyre b'hyati. I'm stuck with the teacher that hates me, opposed to the teacher that I get along with. Granted, this teacher will push me harder and get me to be a better speaker of the language, I'm still not looking forward to it.

Today we went over my favorite part of the Arabic language.

al-fa3ala
the verb , and its ability to be morphed into many other forms of its self.

you take the root, F-3-L [the judher], and put it into all the other patterns to change meaning.

if Q-T-3 [F-3-l] is to cut
then Q-T-T-3 is to chop up
Q-A-T-3 to cut off
A-N-Q-T-3 - to be cut off

etc etc. You get the idea. Well anyways there are 10 forms of a verb. And I have a quiz on monday on all of them, and need to know all the meanings, like as you saw above, A-N-F-3-L is to become the one taking the action instead of doing the action.
As an English speaker this is a pain in the ass to remember, but for an Arab this is heaven when it comes time to use a dictionary, or making words. Frankly, it makes want to crush babies.

But it does also work for nouns.

D-R-S is to study
D-A-R-S student
M-D-R-S-A - school

etc etc

ok I'm sure nobody cares haha, But I find it fascinating.